Joy Robinson

Joy Skaggs Robinson, 87, passed away peacefully on July 23, 2016 of natural causes. Joy was born, attended by a mid-wife, in her paternal grandparents’ home in the Ozark hill country of Northwest Arkansas. She grew to adolescence a few miles away on the farm homesteaded by her maternal great-grandparents. At the age of four she began attending a one-room school, Rocky Dell, where she fell in love with the written word—a love sustained throughout her lifetime. By the age of forty she was publishing free-lance articles regularly in various publications including the Today section of the Deseret News. In 2002 she won the Sunstone award for fiction and in 2003 published her first book, Of Angel, Dreams and other Fine Things, co-written with her friend Joan Oviatt. She published Touched by the Spirit in 2004, and Under the Eye of the Shepherd in 2006. Her most recent book, Tender Mercies, was published in 2008. She continued to write short stories and was working on a novel at the time of her death. Joy was also a nurse for many years and provided nurturing care to many people in her condominium development—always on call, day or night, to help. She was a convert to the LDS church and served in a variety of church positions, including serving as Relief Society President in the Bountiful East Stake, an Art Docent at the Church History Museum, and as a teacher in nearly every ward of which she was a member. She was a wonderful mother and grandmother—loving and always available to counsel and support her children and grandchildren. She lived her name by bringing joy to everyone she met resulting in the formation of many friendships with people of all ages.

Joy was married to Keith Draper in May 1955. They had five children. Keith died of cancer in 1987. Joy married George Robinson in 1989. She considered George’s unconditional love for her to be one of the greatest gifts she had ever received, and the 21 years of their marriage were the most joyful and fulfilling of her life. She embraced and loved his six children and many grand and great-grand children. They served three missions together: in Lawrence, Kansas; Zimbabwe, Africa; and Thailand. George preceded her in death five years ago, and she mourned his loss deeply, a grief which did not seem to lessen even as the days, weeks and years passed. She believed he would be waiting for her on the other side of the veil, and she rejoiced in this knowledge.

Joy is survived by her five children: Linda (James) Dodds; Michael (Jo) Draper; Judith (Jay) Roper-Harper; Mary Lou (Bruce) Reitz and David (Robin) Draper and by six stepchildren: Kirk Robinson; Bryan (Victoria) Robinson; Kent (Tanya) Robinson; Warren (Jennifer) Robinson; Kathy (Kurt) Alexander and Brenda Robinson. She has 40 grandchildren and 62 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her brother Joe Skaggs, her parents Mary Frances and Tilden Frazier Skaggs, her great granddaughter Sarah Joy Reitz and great granddaughter Kayla Hudson.

Funeral service will be held July 28, 2016 at 11:00 am at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 255 S. 200 E. Salt Lake City, Utah.